Seventy-year-old Joseph Sebigori is among 324 Rwandans who returned home from DR Congo on Thursday, February 19, through the Grande Barrière border post in Rubavu District. The latest group brings the total number of returnees to more than 7,000 since January 2025. ALSO READ: Rubavu mayor urges returnees from DR Congo to embrace self-reliance A father of four, Sebigori said he fled Rwanda in 1998 during a turbulent period when northern parts of the country were under attack by genocidal forces infiltrating from DR Congo, where they had fled after being defeated by the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA). After crossing into DR Congo, he struggled to survive in Masisi Territory in the east of the country. However, during a visit to Rwanda in the 2000s, he witnessed the transformation taking place and began considering a return. “When we arrived in DR Congo, we kept moving around, hoping for a better life, but things did not work out. So, my wife, children, and I decided to return home.” UPDATE: A total of 324 Rwandans returning from eastern DR Congo crossed the Grande Barrière Border Post in Rubavu District on Thursday, February 19. The new arrivals bring the total number of returnees to more than 7,000. pic.twitter.com/5eBGspHUHY — The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) February 19, 2026 Like many other returnees, Sebigori expressed gratitude for the country’s progress. “The country looks very different from before,” he added. “Many things have changed compared to when we left.” Polina Uwambajimana, 55, also from Masisi Territory, fled Rwanda during 1994. She said she remained in eastern DR Congo because she lacked safe passage back in Rwanda. “I was a farmer. We heard bullets and just left the country,” said Uwambajimana, “But I am happy after crossing the border and stepping back into Rwanda.” Prosper Mulindwa, Mayor of Rubavu District, welcomed the new arrivals urging other citizens still in the forests of eastern DR Congo to return home. “I encourage all of you to use your phones and other communication channels to tell your families and colleagues you left behind to also come back home,” the mayor said in his welcoming remarks. “There is no reason for anyone to remain a refugee. You can choose to work or live wherever you want, but you must do so legally, by obtaining proper travel documents.” The emergency ministry’s figures indicate that 3.5 million Rwandans have been repatriated from DR Congo over the past three decades while Rwanda remains home to over 100,000 Congolese refugees.
